Carnival games all look easy to win, but more often than not they're a losing proposition. Still, if you'd like to play or if you get roped into trying to score a stuffed animal for your kid, a few strategies may help you beat the odds.

Unplugged recommends playing the milk can toss. Your objective is to throw a softball into a milk can, but the can's opening is deceptively smaller than it looks. With this how-to, however, you have better chances of winning at the milk can toss:

Chances are, if you go for a straight lob, your ball will bounce off the rim and out. Instead, channel your inner NBA star and try aiming for the back of the hole while applying plenty of backspin. Don't shoot it like a basketball, though: grip it like you would a baseball, but release it underhand with the back of your hand facing the bottle. That will help give it both backspin and arc, and with any luck, it'll roll right in. Once you get the knack, this is considered one of the most consistently winnable carnival games.

The article offers tricks to get around (as much as possible) the other rigged games, including the ring toss, basketball toss, and shoot the star. This is an interesting tactic for the coin toss: (discretely) apply some spit to the coin to help it stick better to one of the plates.

Losing money to crooked carnival games feels as bad as having your wallet pickpocketed. If you must play, a little strategy might help you walk away with both your pride and a prize.